


I don't take chances anymore

by mariadelshad



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Oblivious Daryl, Protective Rick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2015-10-18
Packaged: 2018-04-27 01:05:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5027773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariadelshad/pseuds/mariadelshad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why doesn't Rick want Daryl to go out and gather more people? Why does Rick appoint Daryl to lure the walkers away?</p>
            </blockquote>





	I don't take chances anymore

**Author's Note:**

> Please tell me what you think! I just quickly wrote this now and wanted to upload it before the new episode airs so I'm sorry if it seems really rushed, it was. haha :)

Rick was terrified.

 

When Morgan revealed to him how he came about meeting Daryl and how he made it to Alexandra Rick almost jumped out of his seat to try and find the hunter, try to talk, or shout, some sense into him. Rick had wanted to find Daryl and tell him that there way no way that he was going to go back out there like that again, but the leader had Morgan's observant eyes on him so he didn't dare to do that, instead he balled his hand into a fist at his side and bit the inside of his cheek to keep him grounded. 

 

"I met 'em, the guys that gathered the walkers that trapped Daryl and Aaron like that in the car. Called themselves the wolves" Morgan had shaken his head as he had recalled the sequenced events. "Man, I don't think they would'a made it if I wasn't there" He'd uttered in a tone that wasn't to brag or credit himself with but rather to warn Rick and remind him that they wouldn't always be so lucky. Rick had nodded once, excusing himself quickly after that, feeling his chest grow tight at the idea of what would have happened if coincidence hadn't placed Morgan there at that particular moment.  

 

Now he stands halfway down the stairs, knowing too well that outside the front door is where Daryl is probably tending to his bike. Rick is aware of the hunters self-sacrificing persona, knows that Daryl probably doesn't put much value to his own life, but he never thought that the archer was this stupid. He never thought that Daryl would pack up to leave again a short day after returning from where he was almost greeted by death itself.

 

Rick takes another step down and mentally curses the archer for being so ridiculously mindless because does he actually have a fucking death wish or something? Going out there while those psychos, wolves or whatever the hell they call themselves, are out there is basically signing your own death warrant. They were fortunate enough to escape death's grasp once, Rick isn't sure he wants to risk that again. He can't take chances anymore, that's not the life they have the luxury to live anymore.

 

Rick clicks the front door open and strides over to where Daryl's occupying himself with the material he's wrapped around the parts of his bike.

 

"So, is he okay with it?" The hunter asks casually, yet to look up from where he works on the parts. The leader takes quick steps, closing the gap between himself and the man that kneels in front of his motor. 

 

"Pretty much his idea" Rick strides around the man and stands from where he can get a good view of Daryl, trying to secretly search for any signs of wounds or bruises he might have missed. 

 

"It's got a bed an' a bath, but it's still a cage, y'know?" For a short moment, the leader wonders if Daryl is talking about Morgan or is his words are a perfect representation of how he truly feels about this place. 

 

"He gets it" Rick repeats and then quickly moves onto what he really wants to discuss. "He told me what happened out there with the trucks" And Rick wishes that it was through Daryl's own lips that he got such significant news but understands that their time span to talk after the hunters return wasn't exactly great. Daryl stands onto his feet, bags under his eyes deeper than usual, but his general structure is untarnished which Rick marks down as a good sign. 

 

"He tell you 'bout those guys he met? The Ws" Daryl waves his finger towards his own forehead to indicate as he talks, an unchanging habit of his. Rick missed seeing that while he was gone. 

  
"Like that walker we saw, yeah" Daryl nods as the leader speaks"We need more watch points." Rick reconstructs and reorganizes his next string of words several times in a row because he simply doesn't want to say anything that will rub Daryl up in the wrong way. "And I'm gonna tell Deanna we don't need to go looking for people anymore" The hunter's eyes looks down right away followed by his head turning away and him biting his nails, even though he is nodding, something that Rick knows is another habit of his when he doesn't agree with someone. "You feel different about it?" Arguing is the last thing that the leader wants to do now that Daryl is back, safe and sound, after so long but he does want to prompt him to speak his mind.

 

"Yeah" Rick knew he would "I do"

 

"Well, people out there, they got to take care of themselves, just like us" The leader doesn't mind making himself look like the bad guy if it means that Daryl will stay safe behind the walls of Alexandria. The leader knows that he can't leave this place otherwise he would go and search for people with Daryl himself. But there is no way on earth he's allowing the hunter to leave for a destination he's not sure he will ever come back from. Rick is usually not bad at speaking, he can give some damn good speeches, and he should probably tell all these things he's thinking to Daryl himself but he isn't quite sure he has the courage to splay out his true thoughts just like that.  Until he does he just has to make sure that if Daryl is on a suicide mission and isn't going to look after himself then he is going to damn make sure that he does.

 

 

_______________________________

 

If Daryl is determined on being useful, is determined to do something that would help this community, then so be it but Rick wants to know that he is close to his people, his family. Rick wants to know that he can keep him near himself, wants to know that he can get to Daryl in the matter of minutes if things were to go south. Daryl doesn't mind taking risks and wants to do the most dangerous of tasks? Fine. But Rick is going to make sure that he's right there with him. Rick might not be the best at explaining himself, might not be able to tell Daryl how much he fears losing him, but that doesn't stop him from restricting Daryl's chances of jumping into Death's open arms. "I told you all, we're gonna have Daryl leading them away."

 

Sasha quickly speaks up "Me, too," she says "I'll take a car, ride next to him. Can't just be him." Rick didn't doubt for a moment that someone from his family would volunteer to stay with Daryl, and that's the reason he needs to stay. He needs to be with his family where they can protect him and he can protect them. "I'll keep 'em coming, Daryl keeps 'em from getting sloppy"

 

"I'll go with her. It's a long way to white-knuckle it solo" Abraham agrees and Rick knows that as long as they are there the chances of Daryl being thrown in harms way are very slim. 

 

Daryl himself, on the other hand, doesn't seem to get that. The leader's shoveling dirt into a sack when Daryl rolls up with a full wheelbarrow and brings up the conversation again. "Hey, what you said before 'bout us needin' to take care of ourselves? Goin' out findin' more people, that is takin' care of ourselves" And Rick can't believe that he still doesn't get it! What else does he need to do for Daryl to understand that he just can't lose him? That he needs him here, by his side. That whenever he leaves everything goes stright to shit. The leader doesn't say anything, there is nothing else he  _can_  say. "Your call, though" 

**Author's Note:**

> I was gonna add a scene where Daryl was basically going to confront Rick, but I just thought I would leave it here for now and maybe if I got a few readers who liked that idea then maybe I would do it.


End file.
